Wonderland Carnival
by Noizchild Johnson
Summary: Third volume up. Second of three stories that follow my poem, "Wasteland 2011" and the core story. Flashes of a carnival keep appearing around Ikebukuro. Meanwhile, some pieces of the complex hell puzzle begin to surface as a new nurse arrives at Raira Academy. Everything hinges on one question- What is the nurse keeping the box under her desk in the her office?
1. Man

Author's Note: This year's been a little been out of whack for me. I hope this won't be the case for the rest of the season. I plan to make this story darker than the previous seasons.

* * *

Wonderland Carnival

Halo Zero: Man:

-He-

I can't remember anything about myself, but my head is a noisy place. I huddled in a little ball on the floor. _Why can't you leave me alone? Why can't you leave me alone?!_

I want to laugh out loud even though I don't have a voice anymore. How have I become this pathetic? All I can do now is stay hiding in my version of Plato's cave. I wait until the nightmares have passed. They leave me only to return stronger than ever.

I pressed my hands to my ears. Their voices scare me still. Why did they have to contact me now? Why couldn't they leave me alone after all of this time? I don't want to experience this again. It's already taken so much out of me. I just want to hide in cave until I finally die at last.

I can't tell Evie why I suffer like this. She probably wouldn't believe me. However, I think she too is starting to see that it's coming to swallow us up again. I don't know how to stop it. All I can do is wait for the destruction to take away everything. Yet, I don't want to die again.

However, I must keep living through this hell until it's ran its course.


	2. Hospital

Author's Notes: I'm sorry for the delay. I have been busy with other drafts, but the fire's back now and I hope it stays that way. Anyway, I love how this chapter turned out.

* * *

Halo One: Hospital:

_August 10th, 1984._

He raced all the way to room 118 of the hospital. He found her sitting up in bed, waiting for him. He stood in the doorway to catch his breath.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she admitted. "I just collapsed."

"Why didn't you tell me that you were feeling sick?" he asked.

"I didn't want to upset you," she reasoned. He sighed as he buried his palm in his hands.

"I can't believe this," he muttered. "You can be such a child sometimes."

"I'm sorry," she murmured. He lifted his head and dropped his shoulders.

"Never mind that," he said. "I'm just glad you are alright." She gave him a little smile.

"Thanks," she replied.

"How long are you going to be here?" he asked.

"The doctors are keeping me here overnight," she said in a low voice. She drew her knees to her chest. "I hate here. I don't want to be without you."

"Well, I'm here now," he said. "I'm not going to leave you." She looked up at him with big eyes.

"You promise?" she asked. He sighed as he tried to make himself smile.

"Yes, I mean it," he said. She held the sheets to her chest.

"That makes me so happy," she said in a low voice. In the hall, a nurse spotted him in the doorway talking to the patient.

"Excuse me," she said. "Can I speak to you for a moment?" He turned to face the nurse.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Could you come with me for a second?" she whispered. He looked up at the patient in the bed with big eyes.

"Is this a bad time?" the nurse asked.

"Oh, no, no," he said. "It's fine right now." He turned back to the patient in the bed. "I'll be back, I promise." She trembled as he walked out of the room with the nurse.

"What is it?" he asked once he and the nurse were in the hall. She looked at him with a proud smile on her face.

"Your wife is pregnant," she announced. He looked at her with his jaw to the ground.

"What?!" he asked.

"She's pregnant by three weeks," the nurse told him in a calm voice. He felt like flying to the sky as he ran back into his wife's room.

"Honey, great news! We're going to have a baby!" he shouted. Her eyes grew big with her own shock.

"What?" she asked.

"You're pregnant," he explained. Her eyes lit up brighter than diamonds.

"You mean…?" she began to ask.

"Yes," her husband told her. She placed her hands over her belly.

"Wow," she said in a low voice.

"Yes," he said back. He couldn't help but smile; however such a joy can be short-lived.


	3. Junko

Author's Note: Finally, we're here to something interesting. Something to move this plot along. No more soft horror after this!

* * *

Halo Two: Junko:

The new nurse roamed the halls with a smile on her face. Students couldn't quite figure her out. Junko kept everyone at arm's length at work. A couple of the male teachers tried to hit on her for a date. She would glare at them with eyes of the devil.

"You do know that is inappropriate behavior, right?" she'd ask them. The teachers would instantly back off. No, Junko had other plans in mind. The Raira trio, Chiharu, and Noriko had their doubts about her from day one.

"I don't like the way she looks at us," Anri said on the roof during lunch. "It's really creepy."

"Yes," Chiharu said to herself with chopsticks in her hands. Noriko lowered her own as if lost in her thoughts.

"I feel like…" she began. She tried to think about how she wanted to word this. "Like I know her from somewhere, but I can't remember where." All eyes fell upon her. Noriko shrugged her shoulders.

"I just do," she said. "I don't know why."

"Maybe she has one of those faces," Mikado suggested.

"She might," Noriko replied. Chiharu narrowed her eyes at her.

"I don't trust her, myself," she spoke up. "Don't ask me why; I just don't." No sooner had she said that, the door to the roof flung open. A freshman girl stood, panting.

"Ishikawa-senpai," she said when she got her breath back. "Taichibana-senpai wants to see you." The five juniors looked rather puzzled.

"Me?" Noriko asked. "Why does she want to see me?"

"She wouldn't say," the freshman replied. "She said that she needed to see you right away." The girl turned and walked back into the building before more questions could follow. Noriko rose to her feet. Chiharu grabbed her hand before she walked away. The other girl turned to see her friend staring at her.

"Be very careful," she said. Noriko nodded before Chiharu let her go. The four remaining friends watched as she walked into the building.

Junko sat waiting at her desk when she heard footsteps walking into the office. She smiled to herself before she turned around. Noriko stood in the doorway, eyeing her.

"You wanted to see me?" she asked.

"Ah, yes," she said. "Please take a seat." Noriko reluctantly walked into the office and sat down on the stool in front of her. Junko smirked to herself. _I have you now, number two_, she thought. She pulled out a folder.

"I was looking through the students file to get to know their medical records, you know," the nurse began. "I couldn't help but notice that yours is blank." Noriko gave her a confused look.

"Huh?" she asked. "That can't be right."

"Let me show you," Junko replied. She opened the file and showed it to the student. Noriko looked with her so perplexed.

"That can't be right," she said. The nurse gave her an icy, devilish look.

"Just who are you?" she asked with the tone of a serpent. Noriko glanced up at her.

"What are you talking about?" she asked. "I'm Ishikawa Noriko." The nurse slowly shook her head.

"No, you're not," she said. "Who are you really?"

"I am Ishikawa Noriko," the student repeated.

"No, you are not," Junko said. "Who are you really?"

"What are you talking about?" Noriko asked. Junko rested her hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Come on," she whispered. "It's not that hard for you to remember. Tell me who you really are." Noriko looked at her with big eyes.

"I… I…" she said. Junko stared her down intently. Noriko looked down at her lap with trembling hands. The nurse smirked, shaking her head.

"That's a shame," she muttered. Noriko lifted her head.

"What?" she asked. Junko patted the girl on the shoulder.

"They put a strong block on your memories, I see," she said. "Well, it looks like I'm going to have to make you remember."

"What do you-?" Noriko started to ask. Junko leaned in close to her ear and whispered the seven-worded password to unlock the Wasteland within the teenage girl. Noriko's eyes grew wide at the sound. The nurse pulled away, licking her lips.

"That is all," she said. "You may go." The girl rose to her feet and walked out of the nurse's office in a daze. Junko sat back in her chair, feeling satisfied with herself. She pulled out her cell phone, typed a text, and pressed send.


	4. Ringo

Author's Note: I should've gotten this up yesterday, but I ended up in PC installation hell by upgrading from Vista to Windows 8.1. (Apparently, Comodo is a dick to 8.1.) Now, I have fixed it and caught up with my others drafts. So, here we are.

* * *

Halo Three: Ringo:

Her smile is always so bright. The freshman boys already had their eyes on her. However, she herself had eyes for someone else. She fought Mikado and his friends about to head home for the day.

"Hey guys!" she called as she raced to catch up with them. The five of them paused and looked up.

"Can we help you, princess?" Masaomi asked. Ringo gave him a huge grin.

"Are you guys doing anything today?" she asked. Chiharu raised an eyebrow at her.

"Why?" she asked.

"I really like you guys," she said. Ringo paused at her words. "Or rather, I admire you in a sense." Either one of those sounded a bit off-putting coming out of her mouth.

"Okay…" Mikado said, confused. Ringo tilted her head at the group.

"So, what do you say?" she asked.

"I can't," Chiharu spoke up. "I don't know about them, but I'm busy today."

"We're kind of busy too, princess," Masaomi said. Noriko hung her head.

"I've got therapy today, sorry," she said. Ringo's smile didn't diminish.

"That's okay," she said. "Maybe some other time, then?"

"I guess…" Mikado mumbled. The freshman waved at them.

"Alright then, see you tomorrow!" she said. Mikado, Masaomi, Anri, Noriko, and Chiharu stood looking puzzled as she hurried away. They all wondered, _What was all of that about?_

However, not everyone likes Ringo.

Michiko stood by the entrance by Ringo's house, waiting. She frowned when she saw the older girl getting closer. The freshman froze in her tracks.

"Now, why would you come to see me again, Michiko-san?" she asked. The thirteen-year-old stepped out with a frown on her face.

"You know she's lying to you, right?" Michiko asked. "That's what Junko does."

"I know," Ringo replied. "But I have to see my brother again." The younger girl shook her head at her.

"You still believe all of that?" she asked.

"I have to see him!"

"How can you even be sure that he's still alive?"

Ringo glared at her. "My little brother's still alive! I just know it!" Another thought crossed her mind. "Why do you care so much about Ryugamine-senpai and his friends?"

Michiko looked away. "I have my reasons."

The other girl made a cat-like face at her. "Oh! Is it because of _him_? You don't want him to suffer through all of this again, do you?"

"Shut up!" Michiko screamed. Ringo put up her hands at her.

"Come on," she said. "I just want to be their friends."

"If you do anything to hurt them, I'll… I'll…!" the younger girl hissed. Ringo raised an eyebrow at her.

"You'll do what?" she asked. Michiko clenched her fists at her sides as she muttered something under her breath. Ringo brushed it off with a little smile.

"I understand," she said.

"Good," Michiko growled. Both of them know it's a lie. After all, they have played this game before.


	5. Mizuho

Author's Note: Yay! I'm on time for once! I figured this would be the last time we go lighter for this season before we cut to the dark stuff. It was close, but I actually made it!

* * *

Halo Four: Mizuho:

Chiharu walked home when she noticed a red sports car in the parking lot. She frowned, rolling her eyes. _Oh, you've got to be kidding me!_ The schoolgirl raced up to her apartment.

_No way! No fucking way!_

Chiharu pushed open the door. "What the hell are you doing in my house?!" she snapped. A woman about twenty-three years old looked up at her from the couch.

"Welcome home," she told her. Chiharu glared at her.

"Cut the crap!" she barked. "What are you up to now, Mizuho?" The woman gave her an innocent shrug.

"What?" Mizuho asked. "Can't I visit my favorite in the whole world?" The schoolgirl gave it her all not to gag.

"You didn't come here to see me!" she barked. "You only want to see aniki!" A flash of annoyance filled Mizuho's eyes, but she battled herself to stay ladylike.

"Guilty!" she said. "Do you know when he'll get in?"

"How the hell did you get in our apartment?" Chiharu asked.

"When does Tatsuya-kun get in?" Mizuho asked, trying to be civil about this. Chiharu reached into her schoolbag with a frown on her face. The other woman felt her cheeks hurt from smiling.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm calling the police," Chiharu replied. Mizuho raised an eyebrow at her.

"Why?" the older woman asked. The schoolgirl retrieved her cell phone in her hand.

"Unless you tell me how you got in, I will have you arrested for breaking and entering," she answered. Mizuho gritted her teeth.

"Just tell me when Tatsuya-kun gets back!" she hissed. Chiharu flipped open her phone, smirking when the "evil little fairy" showed her true colors.

"Not until you tell me how you got into our apartment," she said. Mizuho sat back pouting as Chiharu's finger drew closer to the key pad.

"Fine, the landlady let me in when I told her I was his fiancée," she admitted. "You happy now? Please don't call the police on me." Chiharu closed her phone, unimpressed. _I need to have talk with our landlady later on_, she thought.

"Aniki's at work right now," she explained. "He'll be here in a couple of hours." Mizuho noticed her grinning as she regained her ladylike demeanor.

"What?" she asked, tilting her head.

"Was that so hard to give me an answer?" Chiharu asked. Mizuho sat back, smirking.

"It must be hard for Tatsuya-kun to raise such a difficult younger sister," she said. "I wonder why he hasn't killed you yet." Chiharu gritted her teeth, hissing. She was about to bite back when he cell phone rang.

"Excuse me," she said coldly. She turned and stood in the doorway with the phone to her ear. The call didn't last longer than five seconds before the schoolgirl raced out the front door.


	6. Box

Author's Note: Here is a nice and short halo for everyone. This will be the last thing before the darkness really kicks in.

* * *

Halo Five: Box:

Junko kept a locked box in her office. The black wooden piece of art sat next to her leg on the lower shelf. The students tried to guess what was in it.

"I bet it's some fake ids."

"It's stolen cash."

"Maybe it's jewels."

"Or a body part."

Many guesses circle that box, but never are really right. She never talked about it. That didn't stop the students from trying to find out what was inside. Most of them tried to sneak into her office, but most of them failed. Junko seemed to know when someone was about to break into her box. Just out of nowhere, the nurse would pop up behind them.

"Who gave you permission to touch my box?" she would hiss in their ear. That was all it took to send the students running away in panic. The students weren't the only ones with questions about that box.

Her colleagues during the meets and lunch breaks just had to ask questions as well. Junko causally brushed them off as well.

"It's just my secret treasure," she said would answer. The nurse kept the key in the pocket of her white coat at all times. No one dared to try and steal it from her because of it.

However, there was only one time that her coat was left unattended. An unexpected heroine happened to be walking by the open office while Junko was out for a phone call. One curious little trip let to another open gate to the wasteland.


	7. Downfall

Author's Note: Consider this one a prelude. It's about that time to gear up for the nightmare fuel. I just bought two cans of it. ;)

* * *

Halo Six: Downfall:

Ringo grew close to the girls. Anri, Noriko, and Chiharu ended up at her house every afternoon for sweets and tea.

"Would you like more tea?" she asked Noriko.

"Okay," she replied. Ringo happily poured her more. The three girls still didn't understand her.

"Why do you like us so much?" Anri asked. Ringo looked up at her with a chipper smile on her face.

"I feel," she began. The freshman girl shook her head. "It sounds silly."

"What do you mean?" Chiharu asked.

"It's like I have known you guys for a long them," Ringo admitted. "Sounds crazy, huh?"

"It kind of does," Anri said in a low voice. Chiharu wanted to say something, but kept her mouth closed rather uncertain if she was right or not. Instead, she shrugged her shoulders.

"It might not," she said. The other three looked up at her with an odd expression on their faces. She shook her head at them.

"Just thinking out loud," she brushed off. Not everyone is okay with this odd friendship among the girls.

"You are leading them down a dangerous path," Michiko warned Ringo outside of her house last night. "What do you hope to accomplish by starting this game again?"

"I have to see my brother again!" the freshman insisted.

"When will you let that go?" the younger girl asked. "Do you even know if he's still alive?" The hopeful glint in her eyes began to die.

"He is!" she shouted. "I just know it!" Michiko shook her head at her.

"I'm starting to think otherwise," she said. "You know that Junko is a liar."

"Shut up!" Ringo cried. "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" She took in heavy breaths. "You don't know anything!"

"I know that she is stringing you along," Michiko said. "You might not survive this."

Back at her house, a doll dressed in hunter green silk fell off her dresser and landed on the floor. All four girls jerked their heads upwards at the sound.

"What was that?" Noriko asked.

"Oh," Ringo said when she found the source. She crawled over and picked up her doll. A look of disappointment came over her face when she turned it over. "Oh no," she murmured.

"What's the matter?" Anri asked.

"Her face broke," Ringo complained. She turned the black-haired doll to the girls. A jagged crack ran from her forehead to her chin. "This was my grandma's doll too," she complained.

"It doesn't look that bad," Chiharu said. "You could probably cover that up." Ringo tried to cheer up at her words.

"I guess you're right," she said. Another thought crossed her mind. "See, would you like to meet my brother tomorrow?" she asked. Her guests looked rather puzzled at that question.

"You have a brother?" Noriko asked.

"Yes," Ringo said as she perked up. "Didn't I tell you about him?"

"No, you didn't," Anri answered. Ringo gave her a funny look.

"I didn't?" she asked. "I'm so sure that I did."

"You didn't," Chiharu told her. Ringo lowered her gaze as she sat the doll back on her dresser.

"I could've sworn that I have," she mumbled to herself. The freshman girl shook her head. "Never mind," she spoke up. "It's getting late."

"Do you want to call it a night?" Chiharu asked.

"That would be a good idea, wouldn't it?" Ringo asked.

"We have a test in the morning," Anri pointed out.

"Okay," the freshman girl said. She saw her guests out the front door seconds later. "Good night, everyone!" Ringo said, waving at them from the doorway. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Good night," Anri, Chiharu, and Noriko said in unison. Once they gone, Ringo pulled the door and leaned her back against the cold metal. She looked down at her feet.

"I said something that I really shouldn't have," she muttered to herself. The freshman girl shook her head. "They don't really know much else," Ringo added. "There's still time, so it should be already. So don't worry, Fuyuki-kun. It'll all work out in the end. You'll see."

Her dark-haired doll sat on the dresser with that deep crack in her face.


	8. Fuyuki

Author's Note: This halo is a little bit better. You call can this one part one.

* * *

Halo Seven: Fuyuki:

Ringo stepped out of her house and took in a deep breath. She got the phone call just hours before.

"Hello?" she asked over her cell phone.

"Ringo-chan!" a Scottish accent filled her ear. The girl sat up in her bed.

"Junko-sensei?" she asked. "Is that you?"

"Of course it is," she replied. "Who else would have your number?"

"Oh, right," the girl said. "What is it?"

"I have a little gift for you," the nurse told her.

"What?"

"I'll let you see your brother today."

Ringo's eyes grew big with surprise. "You really mean it?"

"Of course, why would I lie to you? You have a pen and paper beside you?"

"I do!" Ringo chirped. "Hang on!" After she got the address, Ringo got up, got dressed, and headed out the door.

"You know this is a trap, right?" Michiko asked when she greeted Ringo at the hospital. The girl frowned at her when she made it to the doors.

"You never give up, do you?" she asked. Michiko folded her arms across her chest.

"Why now?" she asked. "Don't you find it a little bit strange? Why would she let you see Fuyuki after all of this time?"

"I don't know," Ringo said. "Maybe she's being nice." The "younger" girl tried not to laugh.

"Her being nice?" she asked. "That's a good one!" Her face became serious as another thought entered her mind. "Tell me you didn't invite them over," she said.

"Of course I did," Ringo said. "I want them to meet my little brother." Michiko's heart sank.

"Don't!" she pleaded. "They do not need to go through this all over again!"

"I've heard enough from you!" Ringo screamed. She unclipped her light blue flower hair pins from her hair and pushed Michiko against a well with them. Blue light ribbons appeared and tightened around the "younger" girl's wrists and ankles. She tried to move, but found herself stuck to the brick wall.

"What the-?! What the hell did you do to me?!" Michiko snapped. Ringo gave her a little smirk.

"Surprised at what I can do?" she asked. "It's just a little technique I picked up from you long ago."

"Get me down from here!" she yelled.

"I will, after I see my brother," the freshman said as she turned to the glass doors. She paused when she pushed them open a crack and glanced out of the corner of her eye at her trapped prey. "Oh yeah, don't bother screaming out," Ringo added. "No one will see or hear you. So, just sit tight for me, will you? Goodbye." Michiko glared at her as she walked into the hospital.

Moments later, Anri, Noriko, and Chiharu showed up at the hospital as planned.


	9. Brother

Author's Note: Yay, terror and bloodshed! I love how this chapter turned out.

* * *

Halo Eight: Brother:

Ringo greeted her friends at the doors. "Welcome! I'm so glad you made it!"

"Are you okay?" Noriko asked.

"Yes," the freshman girl said. "Why do you ask?"

"You don't look so well," the other girl pointed out. "You're shaking."

"Oh! It's nothing," she lied. "I'm fine! Fuyuki-kun is probably waiting for us. Let's go inside." Michiko tried to scream out to them as Ringo led the girls inside. She cursed herself pinned up against the wall.

The girls approached the first desk. The receptionist perked up when she saw Ringo's face.

"Oh, Ringo-chan!" she perked up. "I didn't expect to see you here today!" The freshman girl gave her a bright smile.

"Yep!" she replied. "I'm here to see my little brother with my friends." Anri, Noriko, and Chiharu looked rather awkward at the woman behind the desk.

"I see," the receptionist said.

"Is he in his room?" Ringo asked.

"I believe so. He just got in from his check-up. Go and see."

"Thank you, miss." The freshman girl bowed. She and the girls headed down the hall. Ringo pressed the down button on the elevator.

"Why are we going down?" Chiharu asked.

"Fuyuki-kun's in a special ward," the freshman girl answered.

"What do you mean?" Anri asked. Ringo lowered her head as the numbers beeped for the cab approaching them. Her lips mumbled something that wasn't supposed to be heard with human ears.

"Excuse me?" Chiharu asked. Ringo lifted her head, looking like she was about to cry.

"He's just really sick," she whimpered.

"I am so sorry," the other girl said just before the doors slid open. The four of them proceeded inside. The elevator doors opened when they reached down the ground floor. Ringo's guests didn't look so sure at the set-up on the outside.

"Uh… Ringo," Noriko spoke up. "Are you sure we are in the right place?"

"Sure," the freshman girl answered.

"Why does it look… abandoned like this?" the older girl asked. Outside of the elevator was pitch black with torn plastic covering on the walls. The pipes and wires doubled as a low ceiling. The spark sounds and the electrical hum in the darkness did light to ease nerves.

"It's a special ward," Ringo repeated. "Only really bad cases come down here."

"How bad are you talking? Like terminal?" Anri asked.

"You can say that…" the freshman girl mumbled. She led them down the vacant hall. _Let's see, Junko-sensei said he was in room 009_, Ringo thought. "It' just up ahead." She hurried down the hall.

"Wait up!" Chiharu yelled. The others girls raced to keep up in pace. They all arrived at Room 009. Ringo turned around to her guests with a little smile.

"You have to be careful," she warned them. "Fuyuki-kun's a little shy." Ringo pushed open the door. "Fuyuki-kun," she said with a whisper. "It's me, Ringo, your older sister." When she looked into the room, she saw a figure hiding under a sheet. The freshman girl giggled.

"Fuyuki-kun!" she said aloud. "You're still doing that old hiding thing? Come out, you silly boy!" Ringo reached forward and pulled the sheet. However, joy turned into a look of a deer caught in bright lights.

"Oh…" she said in a low voice.

Outside, Michiko dropped to the ground with a plop. "What the-?" she asked. The girl looked down at her hands and noticed Ringo's ribbons, now bright red, "bleeding" out through her fingers. Her eyes widened in shocked.

_No way_, she thought. _Then that must mean…_ Michiko ran inside of the hospital.

Noriko, Anri, and Chiharu stood in horror as Ringo's decapitated body dropped to the floor underneath a dandelion clown-like caterpillar monster sitting on the bed. Those girls ran away as fast as they could from the run.

"What are that?!" Noriko cried.

"Shit if I know!" Chiharu shouted as they raced back to the elevator. As they went up to the lobby, Michiko took the stairs to the ground floor. When she made it to Room 009, she already knew what had happened. The "child" pulled out a purple pin from her hair and stabbed the monster in the chest after it hissed at her, showing off his bloody fangs. She didn't even budge when the black blood splashed everywhere. Michiko looked down at the headless body and shook her head.

"You stupid girl," she muttered to herself.


	10. Hitomi

Author's Note: After the annual viewing of the Japanese Ju-On franchise and the season premiere of American Horror Story: Freak Show, I feel great and charged up with this halo.

* * *

Halo Nine: Hitomi:

She and her boyfriend worked different shifts. Hitomi worked at nights while he worked during the day. They only had time for each other on the weekends. During such, they pretty much just slept in. Lately, Hitomi's boyfriend, Akihiko, couldn't sleep. Very early in the morning, he would hear a thud noise in the walls. This Saturday night was the last straw. The man lay in bed, gritting his teeth.

_Damn it! Why won't it stop?!_ He poked his girlfriend in the shoulder. "Baby, wake up," he whispered. Hitomi rolled over and rubbed her eyes.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"Shhh!" The couple took a listen at the walls. Thud! Thud! Thud! Hitomi sat up with a confused look on her face.

"What is that?" she asked.

"That's why I'm asking you," Akihiko said. He looked her in the eye. "This is a corner apartment, right?"

"Yes," his girlfriend replied. She rested her hand on his shoulder. "I will have someone come over and look at the walls in the morning, okay?"

"Alright," Akihiko said. Despite that exchange, the man didn't go back to sleep.

"See you at dinner," Hitomi said to Akihiko at the door the next morning.

"Have a good day," he said back. Another thought crossed his mind as he turned to head out the door. "Oh, your manager called," Akihiko spoke up. Hitomi gave him a puzzled look.

"What did she want?" she asked.

"Just some files and things like that," her boyfriend said with a shrug.

"Ah," Hitomi replied. "Thanks for letting me know." They shared one more kiss at the door.

"See ya," Akihiko said.

"Bye," she said back.

Around six o'clock, Hitomi headed to work, leaving Akihiko alone in the apartment. He was channel-surfing in the living room when he heard the thuds in the wall again. This time, the loud volume made him jump, jerking his head around.

"What the-?!" he shouted. His eyes trailed upwards to the ceiling. The thuds came down through the ceiling.

"Hello?" he asked. The man stumbled backwards when he felt something brush up against his leg. "Shit!" he hissed. Suddenly, the lights began to flicker again. Akihiko sighed and lowered his shoulders.

"Not again," he muttered. Akihiko was about to head to complain to the landlord about the power again when he heard little footsteps behind him. He turned to see a little girl about six years old running down the hall. Curious, he just had to follow behind. The child turned the corner into their bedroom.

"Hey!" he shouted. "Get out of there!" When Akihiko got to the door, he found his room empty. "Hello?" he asked. The door slid shut so hard that the frame rattled. Before the man could move to the source of the sound, a strong hand grabbed him by the shoulder. Akihiko turned his head to see a blackened school girl opening her mouth for a loud death rattle. His hand dropped by his side, limp.

"I'm home!" Hitomi whispered in the early morning hours as she walked through the front door. She took off her shoes, smiling. The intern looked forward to cuddling up to her sweetie in bed as she caught up on some sleep. Hitomi didn't notice the graveyard-like silence around her as she walked further down the hall.

"Baby, I'm home," she whispered aloud. However, terror came over her face as she saw her boyfriend lying on the bed, trembling on the bed as if he was having a seizure.

"Baby!" she screamed. "Baby, what's wrong?!" Hitomi reached into her coat pocket for her cell phone. She was about to make an emergency call when she saw a pale little girl running by in the mirror. Hitomi whipped around, but no one else was there in the room. Her ears caught a low death rattle noise before a crunch. She turned to see the blackened school girl walking towards her in a zombie-like walk. Hitomi fell back, struggling towards the closet, quaking. The high school girl reached out her hand for her victim. Hitomi covered her face as the heavy breeze blew over her. However when she lowered her hands, an evil look washed over her face as she bit on her fingers.

Around nine o'clock, Namie knocked on the apartment door. She paced around with the file in her hand. She looked up when the door opened. Hitomi looked at her with an empty expression her face.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Um, I've brought that file I want you to look over," her manager told her.

"Oh, cool," Hitomi said. She walked into her apartment. Curious, Namie followed the intern inside.

"Are you feeling okay?" she asked.

"You shouldn't be here," Hitomi said in a low voice.

"Excuse me?" Namie asked. The intern turned around with her head down at her feet.

"The little slut," she mumbled.

"What?" her manager asked.

"He seduced her. He raped her. He raped my baby!" Hitomi growled. Namie grabbed her by the shoulders.

"What the hell?!" she shouted. The intern shoved her manager out of the apartment and locked her out.

"Hitomi!" Namie yelled. The intern walked down hall with her eyes to her feet. The blackened schoolgirl stood outside of the window, looking in.


	11. Anri

Author's Note: Homework ate up most of my time tomorrow. (Boo!) Anyway, I think it's about time to reveal a little, don't you? Let's do that.

* * *

Halo Ten: Anri:

They can't tell anyone what happened to Ringo.

"We can't tell anybody what we saw at the hospital," Chiharu said once they got outside four days earlier. The other girls agreed, but when they got back to school, they discovered something rather unsettling.

"Nobody here seems to remember Ringo," Anri whispered. The deceased freshman's class acted like she never existed.

"Ringo?" they would ask the older three girls. "Who is that?" The girls couldn't understand it.

"Why is this happening?" Noriko asked. They couldn't really answer that question. Even Mikado and Masaomi didn't remember the freshman girl.

"I'm sorry, I would remember such a cutie," Masaomi told Anri when she asked about him. "You have been thinking about some character in an anime or drama." In the end, the girls had to keep Ringo's demise and existence to themselves.

Still, school life had to go on. Anri happened to be walking back to class when she passed the nurse's office. From a sideways glance, it looked empty. The girl found her footsteps drawing to a stop. Anri turned her head and noticed that the office was indeed empty. Even more, Junko's coat lay on the shoulders of the chair unattended. Anri also spotted the black box under the desk. Many students tried to see what was inside with no avail. Nobody could even get close enough to get key. That was until today…

Before she knew it, Anri walked into the office towards the coat in question. From the best of her memory, she reached into the right pocket and pulled out the small silver key. It didn't take long for her to pull out the box, unlock, and open it. Inside threw her for a loop.

She first spotted a large wad of money rolled up in a rubber band. Not really surprising, people tend to hide money for the fear theft. However, Anri looked in even further. She came across a newspaper article clipped out about the Isobe murders back in 1987. Anri picked it up and read the contents. A then-widowed mother, Asuka, went crazy and killed her daughter, Hisayo. Another article talked about another Isobe daughter, Toshiko, had gone missing right after the murder. Police suspected that same thing happened to said daughter. Details of the older daughter's death almost chilled Anri. _Why do I get the feeling that I have seen these faces before?_ Still, that was just round one.

More articles talked about the deaths of a doctor and a secretary. From what Anri read, the case would be cold around this year. Anri couldn't piece together what she was witnessing. Was Junko obsessed with death or something? It would be natural to stop and walk out of the room, but she just had to see more. The Polaroid photos didn't really tell much of anything, but it did raise red flags in a way that her mind couldn't quite grasp. _I feel like I have seen these before_, she thought. However, there was one more surprise.

Anri came across an application for a marriage license. This really puzzled her. _What… is this?_ Most of the words were smudged out and beyond legible. She couldn't read the surnames or the bride's first name. However, the girl could read the groom's first name.

"Makoto…" Anri murmured.

Meanwhile, the man at Evie's apartment jerked his head upwards.


	12. Namie

Author's Note: Yes! Finally on time and this section was inspired by the "Hitomi" segment in the movie, _Ju-On: The Grudge._ (I know not of this American version that one might speak of!)

* * *

Halo Eleven: Namie:

Their interns kept disappearing one by one. Hitomi became the latest example. Namie gritted her teeth.

"She's not answering her phone," she complained. Despite this, she decided to dial again.

"Hey, this is Hitomi," her answering machine said. "I can't come to the phone right now. Please leave message after the beep." Namie drew in a mouthful of air.

"Hey, it's your boss," she began. "Where have you been? Are you feeling okay? Call me back." Namie hung up with gritted teeth. "If she wasn't so good at her job, she would be fired!" she hissed.

"Is there a problem?" someone asked behind her. Namie whipped around to see Izaya sitting at her desk, smirking.

"You look so frustrated," he said. His tone made her eye twitch.

"No," she grumbled.

"Oh?" he asked. Namie walked away with a huff.

"Oh come on!" Izaya shouted. "Can't you take a joke?" All he got was a door slamming in response.

Namie went into the bathroom. One more minute of his voice and she would've had to strangle him. She locked herself into a stall as she didn't notice a girl all-black was next door in the stall next to her. Namie couldn't understand why her interns kept disappearing. This project wasn't difficult. In fact, a child could do this. Even still, they all started vanishing like rabbits. The president sat back and sighed. _What is it with this idiots?_

She looked up when she heard her cell phone ring. Namie pulled it out and looked at the screen. Hitomi's number flashed across the top. She pressed the call press.

"Hello?" Namie asked.

"Boss?" someone like Hitomi's voice asked.

"Where have you been?" the older woman asked. The voice began to speak, but it got lost in a loud death rattle noise on the other line. Namie dropped her phone in such shock. She paused when heard a rattling noise.

"Sorry," Namie said. She looked when she noticed that her phone was outside of the stall. The president opened the door to go get it. Her fingertips came within inches of it when she heard a door open. Namie looked behind her when she heard the stall door open. A figure in black followed behind a low death rattle noise. The sight made Namie freeze.

"W-W-Who are you?" she asked. The blackened figure froze and slowly turned its head. Namie took off running as fast as she could.

"Now what am I looking for again?" the security guard asked.

"There's someone in the ladies' room," Namie said. "I swear it!" The bald middle-aged man gave her a strange look.

"You sure about that?" he asked.

"Yes!" she shouted. "Please go check!" The man dropped his shoulders.

"Alright," he said. The security guard rose to his feet and headed out the room. Namie watched as he headed into the ladies' room on the monitor. Her face dropped when the image on the screen changed as a dark mist drew the security guard drew into the bathroom. She turned and fled out of the camera room. Many people had questions for her as she raced out of the building.

"Yagiri-san, what's the matter?" her employees asked. Namie didn't even look at anyone as she fled to her car.

She tried to calm herself down when she made it to her apartment. _What the hell was all of that about?_ Namie tried to shake it off. As she rode the elevator upwards, a six-year-old ghost girl watched her in between the floors. The president didn't expect much to happen for her evening. No sooner had she gotten into her kitchen, her cell phone rang again.

"Hello?" Namie answered.

"Boss?" that same voice sounding like Hitomi asked. The president stood up straight.

"Hitomi?" she asked.

"Boss, I'm outside your door with the file you wanted," "Hitomi" said. The president's mood changed to annoyed.

"Well, where have you been?" she snapped. "You could've at least called!" Namie peeked out the peep hole and saw the intern looking in. However when she opened the door, nobody was outside. Namie froze in confusion.

"Hello?" she asked. A loud death rattle flooded from her phone that she dropped the phone outside of the apartment, slamming the door in fear. Namie leaned against the metal, panting.

_What the… What the hell was that?!_ She ran to the safety of her bedroom and hid in her bed. Namie tried to calm herself down again by turning on the TV. A news special came on talking about some nature program. The president of the company didn't care at this point; she just wanted something normal. However, the image became distorted with that death rattle drowning out the female anchor's voice. Namie panicked and turned off the TV. A crunching noise made her freeze. She turned and looked down in her bed. That blackened girl grabbed onto her body, dragging her further into the bed. Namie didn't even get a chance to scream as she was pulled away.

Her room was left silent and empty.


	13. Noriko

Author's Note: I am sorry for the delay, I don't know happened, but I am here now. I love how this halo turned out.

* * *

Halo Twelve: Noriko:

The images in her head have become stronger than before. Her mind mixed up delusions with reality. This morning, Noriko awoke to the sound of music. The melody sounded so distant to her own memory. Her lips mumbled the lyrics as if trying to recall the actual song. Noriko closed her eyes and tried to picture it. Only small flashes came to her at the moment. At first, she saw a carousel. She remembered the white horses spinning in her eyes. Noriko's hand reached out for the first head that she saw.

However, a blackened hand grabbed her by the wrist, trying to pull her in. Noriko tried to pull me away.

"Let me go!" she shouted. "Please let me go!" The hand kept dragging her further in. A horrible death rattle jerked her eyes open. Noriko's eyes darted around the room. _This isn't my room. This isn't my room!_ Noriko sat up straight in bed. She could feel her heart pounding against her chest. _Get it together… You have to get back. You have to get back!_ She swung her legs over her bed. The carpet seemed to cave under her feet. Noriko drew back when a pickling sensation went up and down her legs. She drew her head upwards to see a carnival in front of her. The brightly-colored tents sat on either side of her. Noriko could hear the vendors shouting to buy their merchandise to the passers-by. Before she knew it, the girl got off of her bed and began walking down the muddy path.

"You there, miss!" a woman a tent called to her. Noriko turned to her left and saw her selling jewelry in said-tent.

"Me?" she asked.

"Yes, come here," the woman said. Noriko wandered over, head tilted. The woman held out a small silver sand dollar necklace.

"This matches your eyes," she said. The girl looked at the small silver sand dollar. Her fingers inched towards the shiny material.

"It's really pretty," she said.

"I'll give you a special price for it," the woman told her.

"I don't think I can afford it," Noriko said. She paused and turned her head when she heard a crunching noise behind her. Her eyes widened as she saw a schoolgirl bleeding from her head, reaching out for her. She seemed to be mouthing something as she dragged her feet forward. Noriko backed away as fast as she could.

She looked to find herself alone in an operation room. However, the girl realized that she wasn't alone anymore. Her eyes caught hold of an operating table. The face of the patient looked gazed over and hollow. The mouth was slightly open under the heavy sheet. Noriko covered her own as she slowly backed away.

_That's… That's me!_

Noriko turned and ran down a hall of white. She ended up trembling outside of her apartment. She picked up her phone and held it to her ear.

"Chiharu, please come get me! I'm so scared! I don't know what to do! Please help me!"


	14. Ueda

Author's Note: Another late chapter. I seemed to be having a bad week. (Please don't ask, just read the halo.)

* * *

Halo Thirteen: Ueda:

The police began searching around Hitomi's apartment on Monday morning. It all began with a little trip over by the landlady. At first, the old lady pounded on the front door.

"Mori-san!" she shouted. "You're rent's behind! Open this door!" To her surprise, the door swung open. Puzzled, the old lady wandered inside. Right off the bat, the silence didn't sit well with her.

"Hello?" she asked. The old lady took slower steps inside. "Is anybody here?" She felt a drop hit her cheek. The landlady lifted her head as another drop fell on her face. Her screaming could be heard from within the building.

The police arrived and began the search. They spoke with the landlady for more information. Two officers spoke to each other in the kitchen.

"There nothing in the apartment," a first one said.

"Nothing at all?" the younger one asked.

"No," the first one answered. "There's not a single soul in this apartment." The other cop thought about this information.

"Everyone!" a third cop shouted. "I found a cell phone." The other two cops looked up at him.

"Go ahead and call it," the older cop said.

"Alright," the third one said. He dialed up a random number in the phone book and pressed call. They all heard a ringing in the ceiling.

"It's coming from up there," the second cop said. The three of them went outside to the stairs up to the abandoned floor of the apartment. They came up to apartment 444 and found the door unlocked. When they looked inside, shock came over their faces. They found the bodies of Hitomi and Akihiko sitting up against the back wall.

It didn't take long for the case to spread to the police station. A rookie knocked on the boss' door.

"Ueda-san!" he shouted. "Ueda-san!"

"Come in," the older man said behind the door. The rookie opened the door.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" he asked. Ueda gave him a stern look.

"Please close the door behind you," he ordered. The rookie drew the door closed.

"What's the problem?" he asked. Ueda clinched his hands together.

"We have to drop this case," he said in a hushed tone. The rookie gave him a strange expression on his face.

"Why?" he asked. Ueda shoved a file forward on his desk. The rookie walked over for a look.

"What is this?" he asked.

"A case from twenty-four years ago," the older officer said.

"So, what does that have to do with this current case?"

Ueda pointed to the picture of the woman and the girls in the article. "Those that have crossed paths with them, have either died, gone mad, or disappeared."

The rookie shook his head. "But they're dead. That's not possible."

"It's the curse," he said.

"Curse?"

"Yes, have you heard of the concept of ju-on?"

"Like in the movies?"

"Yes."

The rookie shook his head. "But that's just a movie."

"No! It's real! I saw it with my own eyes!" Ueda broke down into trailing. "I saw it with my own eyes! They killed my partners! They killed my partners! They-!" He broke down into a trembling ball of mess on the floor. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

"Sir?" the rookie asked, rushing over to him. "Sir? Sir?"


	15. Makoto

Author's Note: On time and I like how this one turned out. I figured it was time to give some characters a voice and names. We're starting to get somewhere.

* * *

Halo Fourteen: Makoto:

The crack in the door to the Wasteland has deepen. He couldn't separate himself from the horror anymore. _What do I do? What do I do?_ The howling wouldn't stop in his brain. Something broke the peace within him. He couldn't exactly tell what happened, but it sure caught his attention. _Who just called me?_

He came back to earth when he heard the front door open.

"I'm home!" Evie called as she took her shoes off at the front entry. "My day was crap again. We still have no idea what happened to our boss." She walked into the living room where he sat up against the wall.

"It's so weird," she went on. "He's been known to go off on his binges. But he hasn't returned since he went to go check on the new tenants in that apartment." Evie leaned down to her boyfriend's face.

"Are you hungry?" she asked. Her boyfriend nodded his head. Evie rose to her feet.

"Okay then," she said. "I'll be right back." The woman headed straight into the kitchen. He listened as she opened the fridge, took out the containers, and ran the microwave. Evie returned with the leftover rice.

"Here you are," she said. Evie opened the container and set it down in front of him. She picked up his chopstick and broke them apart. Once they were in his hand, the man took the first bite. Evie sat down and took a bit herself.

"Thank you," the man said in a weak voice. Evie lowered her chopsticks for another bite.

"Oh, you're welcome," she said. It took a second for what just happened to reach her brain. "Huh?!" Evie shouted as she dropped her container. The suffering man covered his mouth as he realized what just happened as well.

"You can talk?" Evie asked.

"I guess I can…" he mumbled. _How did this happen?_

"Since when?"

The man shook his head. "I don't know…"

Evie narrowed her eyes at him. "Wait a second! Were you just pretending this whole time?"

"No, I swear I wasn't!"

Evie leaned in, curious. "So where did you come from?"

"I don't know."

"Do you have any family looking for you?"

"I don't know…" He grabbed his head. _Why is this happening? I thought I sold my voice to keep it all locked. Why can I speak again? Why is this happening? Why? Why?!_

"Are you okay?" Evie asked.

"No!" the man wailed. She reached out to comfort him, but he slapped away her hand.

"Don't touch me!" he yelled. The tormented man huddled in a ball, crying out in mental pain. _Make it stop! Please make it stop!_

"Do you remember anything about yourself?" Evie asked as she looked around for her phone. The man lifted his head in desperation.

"My name," he choked out. "I only remember my name!" His "girlfriend" tilted her head at him.

"What is your name?" she asked.

"Please don't leave me!" he begged.

"What is your name?" Evie asked again.

"Ma-ko-to…" he answered in a weak voice. He dropped down his head back into his ball.


End file.
